No change in China's 'one child' policy

China will not consider changing its one-child policy for at least another decade, the country's family planning supremo said today.

Minister Zhang Weiqing of the State Population and Family Planning Commission told the China Daily newspaper that the one-child rule should be maintained for now.

"Given such a large population base, there would be major fluctuations in population growth if we abandoned the one-child rule now," he said. "It would cause serious problems and add extra pressure on social and economic development.

Any change in the policy would be considered only after the end of the country's next birth peak in 10 years, Mr Zhang said. During the next decade, nearly 200 million people will enter child-bearing years.

"After the new birth peak ends, we may adjust the policy if there is need," he said.

The policy, launched during the 1970s, is thought to have prevented an additional 400 million births. China's population currently stands at 1.3 billion, growing 16 to 17 million annually.

Beijing limits most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two to conserve scarce resources.

Critics say the policy has led to forced abortions, sterilisations, child abandonment and a dangerously unbalanced sex ratio due to a traditional preference for male heirs.